Supreme Court case information

Listed below are the substantive Supreme Court cases for the year along with appeals still to be determined or cases awaiting hearing. 

Information giving an overview of the case is included along with media releases and links to judgments being appealed when available.

All 2024 - 2014 Supreme Court cases dismissed or deemed to be dismissed where a notice of abandonment was received can be found here.

Transcripts for cases heard before the Supreme Court are included provided they are not suppressed. Transcripts from pre-trial hearings are not published until the final disposition of trial. These are unedited transcripts and they are not a formal record of the Court’s proceedings. The Ministry of Justice does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use.

28 November 2025

Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 120 KB)

All years

Case name
PricewaterhouseCoopers v Robert Bruce Walker and Ors
Case number
SC 89/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in not finding an assignment of debt and security impermissible – Whether Court of Appeal erred in not finding proceedings to be an abuse of process.[2016] NZCA 338  CA475/2015
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (PricewaterhouseCoopers v Walker [2016] NZCA 338)
B The approved question is: Did the Court of Appeal err in upholding the High Court’s refusal to stay the proceeding?     
 13 December 2016
_____________________________
A Leave is granted to the respondents and the intervener to adduce new evidence.
B The appeal is dismissed.
C We make no award of costs.
6 October 2017
Transcripts
Media Releases
High Court decision
WALKER AND SCUTTER & ORS v FORBES & ORS [2015] NZHC 1730 [28 July 2015]
Court of Appeal decision
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS v WALKER AND OTHERS [2016] NZCA 338 [19 July 2016]
Leave judgment - leave granted
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS v WALKER AND OTHERS [2016] NZSC 165 [13 December 2016] (PDF, 120 KB)
Substantive judgment
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS v WALKER AND ORS [2017] NZSC 151 [6 October 2017 (PDF, 202 KB)
Case name
Demissie Tefera Asgedom v The Queen
Case number
SC 90/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the applicants were not materially prejudiced by the form of the indictment – Whether the applicants were prejudiced by the addition of a new alleged party to the offence part way through the trial – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the applicant’s were not prejudiced by non-disclosure of certain material – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the second applicant’s appeal against sentence.  [2016] NZCA 334   CA451/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed. 
25 October 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DEMISSIE TEFERA ASGEDOM v R [2016] NZSC 138     25 October 2016 (PDF, 93 KB)
Judgment appealed from

DEMISSIE TEFERA ASGEDOM V R [2016] NZCA 334      18 July 2016
Case name
Nebiyou Tefera Demissie v The Queen
Case number
SC 91/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the applicants were not materially prejudiced by the form of the indictment – Whether the applicants were prejudiced by the addition of a new alleged party to the offence part way through the trial – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the applicant’s were not prejudiced by non-disclosure of certain material – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the second applicant’s appeal against sentence.  [2016] NZCA 334   CA533/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
25 October 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DEMISSIE TEFERA ASGEDOM v R [2016] NZSC 138   25 October 2016 (PDF, 93 KB)
Judgment appealed from

 DEMISSIE TEFERA ASGEDOM V R [2016] NZCA 334    18 July 2016
Case name
G v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether the Court of Appeal was wrong to hold that information obtained from a third party without a search warrant or production order is admissible as evidence in the applicant’ s trial. [2016] NZCA 390   CA161/2016
Result
Judgment released.
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
4 May 2017
Judgment appealed from
[2016] NZCA 390   CA161/2016
Case name
Zacharius Rakena v The Queen
Case number
SC 96/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that no miscarriage of justice had occurred in relation to the trial Judge’ s decision not to poll the jury after the verdict was delivered – Whether the trial Judge erred in not making further enquiry into the jury process – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the jury’s verdict was reasonable.  [2016] NZCA 357   CA747/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 October 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ZACHARIUS RAKENA v R [2016] NZSC 137   18 October 2016 (PDF, 88 KB)
Judgment appealed from

Rakena v R [2016] NZCA 357    27 July 2016
Case name
Dean James Charlton v The Queen
Case number
SC 102/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that there was sufficient evidence to support the applicant’s conviction for rape. [2016] NZCA 212 CA452/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 February 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DEAN JAMES CHARLTON v R [2017] NZSC 5    9 February 2017 (PDF, 120 KB)
Judgment appealed from

CHARLTON V R [2016] NZCA 212   20 May 2016
Case name
Kaveinga Helotu Lavemai v The Queen
Case number
SC 105/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Sentencing – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by dismissing the appeal against sentence. [2016] NZCA 363   CA344/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 November 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
KAVEINGA HELOTU LAVEMAI v R [2016] NZSC 144    2 November 2016 (PDF, 92 KB)
High Court decision
R v LAVEMAI [2014] NZHC 797    16 April 2014
Judgment appealed from

LAVEMAI v R [2016] NZCA 363    28 July 2016
Case name
Dillin Pakai v The Queen
Case number
SC 110/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the jury verdicts were not unreasonable as the jury could reasonably have rejected that the applicants were acting in self defence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the trial Judge’s directions on youth and party liability were adequate – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the common law does not recognise a partial defence of excessive force – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the prosecutor had not improperly impeached the credibility of a defence witness – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that communications between the applicants were lawfully intercepted and so were admissible as evidence at trial.[2016] NZCA 343   CA663/2014
Result
A The time for filing the applications for leave to appeal is extended.
B The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
8 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DILLIN PAKAI v R [2017] NZSC 27   8 March 2017 (PDF, 83 KB)
Judgment appealed from

PAKAI & HARRISON V R [2016] NZCA 343    20 July 2016

Case name
Shane Pierre Harrison v The Queen
Case number
SC 111/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the jury verdicts were not unreasonable as the jury could reasonably have rejected that the applicants were acting in self defence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the trial Judge’s directions on youth and party liability were adequate – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the common law does not recognise a partial defence of excessive force – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the prosecutor had not improperly impeached the credibility of a defence witness – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that communications between the applicants were lawfully intercepted and so were admissible as evidence at trial.   [2016] NZCA 343   CA554/2014
Result
A The time for filing the applications for leave to appeal is extended.
B The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed. 8 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DILLIN PAKAI v R [2017] NZSC 27   8 March 2017 (PDF, 83 KB)
Judgment appealed from

PAKAI & HARRISON V R [2016] NZCA 343      20 July 2016
Case name
Morris Burton Suckling v The Queen
Case number
SC 112/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeals against conviction and sentence.[2016] NZCA 187    CA468/2015
Result
A  The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B  There is no order for costs.
4 October 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MORRIS BURTON SUCKLING v R [2016] NZSC 133    4 October 2016 (PDF, 79 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SUCKLING v R [2016] NZCA 187    10 May 2016
Page 51 of 109